Belt punch



D. H. cHAsoN Jan. 24, 1939.

BELT PUNC-JH Filed Nov. 27, 193e gmc/Wto@ 3 zhmzA 'H cham Patented Jan. 2.4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BELT PUNCH Daniel H. Chason, Elizabeth, N. J., assigner to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 27, 1936, Serial No. 112,942

7 Claims.

` punches and cutters.

In tools of this character, it is desirable to providea simple and ecient latching -device for locking the jaws in substantially closed position so that the tool will occupy less space when not in use and may be readily inserted and removed from the users pocket.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved locking means for holding a device of the character in question in substantially closed condition when not in use.

A further object of the invention is the vprovision of a latching device which is so constructed that it may be conveniently rendered effective for locking the tool in substantially closed position.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a latching device which may be easily and quickly applied to tools already in use without the necessity of any considerable alteration,

which may be readily and cheaply manufactured,

and which will be durable in use.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which shows a preferred embodiment of the device, and more specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a combination belt-punch and cutter provided with a preferred embodiment of the latching device in locking position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the tool in open position. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal or horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Figs. i and 5 represent enlarged vertical sectional views taken substantially on the line 4-4, Fig. 2 and line 5 5, Fig. 1, respectively. Fig. 6 represents a sectional view taken on the center line` of the punch element showing the latching device in a position itY assumes under the action of gravity when the tool is tightly closed and held in a horizontal position. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the latching device positioned between the jaw of the tool and the belt-stripper. Fig. 8 is a disassembled perspective view of the improved latching device showing its details of construction.

In describing my improvement, only such limited reference will be made to the usual wellknown belt-pliers, disclosed in the United States Patents Nos. 488,785 and 650,530, as is deemed necessary for a proper understanding of the in- Vention.

The tool shown for purposes of illustration comprises a pair of complemental jaws I and 2 having pivoted thereto, at 3 and 4,two suitably formed sheet-metal actuating levers or handles 5 and 6 which are riveted or otherwise secured together by pivot-studs 'I and 8. Each handle is provided with a transverse pin 9 adapted to be positioned within a slot IIJ formed in the rear end of each of the jaws i and 2, the pin and slot connectionsoperating in conjunction .with the pivots 3 and 4 to maintain the work-engaging faces of the -jawsin substantial parallelism at all times. In order that the tool will normally remain in open position, two coil-springs I I and I 2 are pro-'- vided which act betweenthe free ends of the handles and the rear ends of the jaws.

Secured, preferably by screws, to the upper jaw I, adjacent the front end thereof, is a depending knife blade I3 which cooperates with the edge of the opposite jaw 2 to provide an effective belt-cutter.

Threaded into the upper jaw I is a hollow punch I4 formed with a sharpened lower edge adapted to be received by a suitable anvil I5 seated in a countersunk aperture I6 in the lower jaw 2. It is perceived that the belt-stripper may be fastened to the jaw in several Ways and hereinafter the beltstripper is to be consideredr as part of the jaw upon which it is mounted. The outer end of theV aperture i6 is threaded and is adapted to receive a clamp-screw I1 which rigidly secures a sheetmetal U-shaped belt-stripper I8 to the lower jaw 2. Formed in each limb of the stripper is a beltlocating aperture I9, the lower half of which is preferably V-shaped so as to center the belt B, shown in section in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 4, relative to the punch I4. Obviously, the use of this particular shape of belt-locating aperture permits the tool to accommodate belts of different diameters with equal facility.

Referring to Fig. 8, the improved latching device preferably comprises a sheet-metal latch element 20 having near one end thereof a slot 20 defininga cross-bar 20 which is embraced by the semicircularly curved end 2| of a resilient tongue 2I formed as a part of the sheet-metal supporting plate 22 adapted to be secured beneath the lock-nut 23 which holds the punch I4 in set position in the upper jaw I. The lower, or free, end of the latch element 20 is preferably formed as an inturned hook 24 which, as shown 'in Figs. 1 and 5, is adapted to engage within the belt-locating aperture I9 in the belt-stripper I 8, thereby to hold the tool in substantially closed position. It can be seen that no substantial alteration of the tool is required in order to equip it with the present latching device, it being only necessary to remove the lock-nut 23, mount the supporting plate 22 of the latching device upon the threaded upper end of the punch I4, and replace the lock-nut, thereby securely fastening the latching device to the tool.

When it is desired to lock the tool in substantially closed position, the user forces the jaws tightly together and then manually turns the latch 20 from the normally inoperative position shown in Fig. 4, in which it is impositively maintained by virtue of the yielding tongue 2I of the supporting plate 22, into engagement within the belt-locating aperture I9, as shown in Fig. 5. The pressure on the handles 5 and 6 is then released and the hook 24 of the latch element is thereafter held in engagement with the belt-stripper by the springs II and I2. To release the jaws, the tool is closed tightly and then the latch is either manually turned to its inoperative position, or the tool is turned to the horizonal position shown in Fig. 6 so as to permit the latch to disengagel itself from the belt-stripper under the action of gravity, the latch then being preferably turned to its retracted position so that it will not inadvertently lock the tool in closed position during the manipulationthereof. However, should the latch be left in the position shown in Fig. 6 and the-tool returned to its upright position, the latch 20 falls against the side ofthe jaw I and, upon subsequent manipulation of the tool, simply positions itself between the jaw I and the stripper I8, see Fig. 7, without damaging the latching device f or effecting the operation of the tool in any way.

It can be seen from Fig. l that the latching device, when in locking position, serves also to maintain the sharpened edge of the belt-cutter I3 within the contour of the jaw 2, thereby protecting it against contact with foreign objects, which would, of course, dull the cutter and necessitate the frequent sharpening thereof.

From the foregoing it will be understood that I provide belt-punching pliers with a latching device which may be applied thereto at a small cost, and which may be readily applied to different forms of belt-pliers now in use.

While I have shown and described a construction best adapted for carrying out my invention, it is to be understood that it is susceptible of various modifications within the range of mechanical skill.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention what I claim herein is:-

1. In a belt-punch, the combination with a pair of comple-mental jaws one of which supports a punch, aV belt-stripper mounted upon the other jaw and having formed therein a belt-locating aperture, and a latching device secured to the punch-supporting jaw and adapted to engage Within said belt-locating aperture, thereby to l hold said tool in substantially closed position.

2. In a belt-punch, the combination with a pair of spring-opened complemental jaws one of which supports a punch, a U-shaped belt-stripper mounted upon the other jaw and having formed in each limb thereof a belt-locating aperture, and a latching device secured to the punch-supporting jaw and adapted to engage within one of said belt-locating apertures, thereby to hold said tool in substantially closed position.

3. A latching device adapted for attachment upon a tool having opposed jaws comprising, a supporting plate adapted to be secured upon one of said jaws and provided with a depending tongue, and a hook-shaped latch element pivoted to saiddepending tongue said tongue sustaining said latch element in inoperative position and said latch element being arranged to engage the opposite jaw to lock said tool in substantially closed position.

4. In a belt-punch, the combination with a pair of complemental jaws one of which supports a punch and a nut for locking said punch upon said jaw, of a latching device secured to said punchsupporting jaw by said nut and adapted to engage the opposite jaw to hold said tool in substantiallyV closed position.

5. In a tool of the class described having a pair of complemental jaws, an element secured upon one of said jawsand adapted to operate on work presented thereto, means for securing said element to said jaw, and a latching device fastened upon one of said jaws by said element-securing means and adapted to engage the opposite jaw to hold said tool in substantially closed position.

6. A latching device adapted for attachment upon a tool having opposed jaws comprising, a supporting plate adapted to be removably secured upon one of said jaws and provided with a tongue having a curved end-portion, and a hook-shaped latch-element provided with a slot defining a cross-bar embraced by the curved endportion of said tongue, whereby the hook-shaped latch-element is sustained by the supporting plate.

'7. A latching device for attachment upon a tool having opposed jaws comprising, a substantially U-shaped supporting plate adapted to be secured upon one of said jaws, one of the limbs of the supporting plate providing a resilient tongue having a curved end-portion, and a hook-shaped latch-element formed with an aperture defining a cross-bar adapted to beembraced by the curved end-portion of saidresilient tongue, whereby the hook-shaped latch-element is pivotally sustained by the supporting-plate and impositively maintained in retracted position.

DANIEL H. CHASON. 

